Team Dynamics
by Punny GEM
Summary: Getting -- or being -- a temporary replacement on a team has its ups and downs.


Jack paused, looking at the foreign landscape around him. They were walking single-file, nearing the end of a long and way-too-narrow ridge flanked by deep ravines. It reminded him of the place where they had left Daniel's grandfather, Nick, to commune with the giant aliens. Except instead of fog all around, there were breathtaking vistas of red and gold stone dropping away in all directions. Benson, the obnoxious geologist who was Carter's last-minute replacement this trip, had been determined to walk to the end of the causeway to video the formations and examine a large object that might be an artifact.

Jack would have let Daniel and Teal'c stay behind on wide, safe terra firma but Daniel, of all people, had wanted to come along. Probably to make sure that Jack didn't kill the detestable Benson. As the path narrowed and began to resemble the impossibly-high walkway in Star Wars, Jack wondered how much the somewhat-acrophobic Daniel was regretting his humanitarian decision.

They finally reached the circle, perhaps three meters in diameter, at the end of the path. Now that they could spare their eyes from the slender walkway, they took a good look around. The supposed-artifact turned out to be a rock. A real rock, even Daniel said it was. The view, at least, was majestic, spreading down and away in all directions, its vibrant colors like a sunset captured forever for their viewing pleasure. He felt a bit of the aggravation of the day begin to slide away as he turned slowly in awe.

Benson, of course, had to be the one to spoil the moment.

"They," he spat the word, "wouldn't do this for the aesthetics. Does your Jaffa know what this thing is?"

Before Jack could object to either the insubordinate tone or the implied ownership, Teal'c answered solemnly. "I do."

Amazing how the man always kept his cool, even in the face of Benson's obvious hostility and prejudice. Jack had no intention of being so generous; one more outburst and he'd start imposing some serious discipline. No more Colonel Nice-Guy. He -- and Daniel and Teal'c -- had already tolerated far more than they should have in the name of temporary teamwork.

"Well? Show us!" Benson demanded, hands on hips as if scolding a child.

That's it! Jack whirled on the man --

Teal'c reached out with one hand and shoved Benson over the edge of the cliff on which they stood.

He screamed as he fell; it had to be at least five hundred meters to the ground below. Daniel cried out, too, and quickly dropped on his belly to peer over the edge.

Jack stared at his friend in shock. Sure, the bastard had something coming. He'd had a few un-commanderly daydreams of his own about beating the crap out of Benson. But to just kill him? This was a side of Teal'c he'd never seen before.

Teal'c's lip curved just a bit. He looked amused. "He asked me to demonstrate the function of this facility."

"Which is?"

"Amusement." He gestured for Jack to look over the edge. Benson was swooping up and down, his body corkscrewing in extravagant loops, diving hundreds of meters at a time, veering perilously close to the sheer rocky face of the cliff. Sort of like a giant-scale Earth roller-coaster, but without the coaster itself.

Jack pressed his lips together but the snicker would not be denied. He tried to cover it with a cough, but ended with a laugh despite himself. Daniel's shoulders shook as he, too, tried not to laugh outright. Jack slapped Teal'c on the back. "He did ask, didn't he?" He looked back down, watching Benson bounce like a bungee jumper near the bottom of the gorge. "How long is the ride?"

"Until he says the word 'stop' in Goa'uld. Or until we shut it off." He made no move to do so.

Benson flew past near the top of the cliff, arms and legs waving frantically, screaming as he began a dramatic nosedive that would have done an F-15 proud.

Enough was enough. "Ok, Teal'c, how do we shut it off?"

"Say the word 'stop.'"

Nothing happened. Benson rose and plummeted back down, a swift spinning plunge this time.

Daniel was standing now. "Cease." He paused. "Nope, not it. Halt? Nope, not it, either."

Jack raised a very-Teal'c-like eyebrow at his normally-sympathetic archaeologist.

"Give me a minute, Jack. I'll get it. There's only so many words that mean 'stop' in the 23 languages I know."


End file.
